Helping Healthcare Care: Patrick M. Schmidt

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

— John Quincy Adams

AS THE FOUNDER and chief executive officer of FFF Enterprises, Inc., Patrick M. Schmidt has spent the past 21 years inspiring others in the healthcare industry to put the needs of patients first. His company’s motto, “helping healthcare care,” has been the driving force behind every business decision and, according to Schmidt, the secret of his success.

Like many great American achievement stories, Schmidt’s has humble beginnings. After a career as a pro football player, Schmidt just wanted to make a little extra money while at UCLA prior to beginning his planned career as a football coach. FFF Enterprises was founded in 1988 with $100 and a vision to distribute patient examination gloves. Today, the company’s annual sales exceed $1 billion, and its influence has been felt far and wide. In an industry like biopharmaceuticals with a distribution channel that was once rampant with unstable pricing, ill-managed shortages and unpredictable product allocation, Schmidt saw an opportunity to make a positive change that would have lasting ramifications. Almost from the start, he set out to secure the biopharmaceutical supply chain and thereby minimize the risk of counterfeits for manufacturers, distributors and customers. By all accounts, his mission has been a successful one.

“Our customers recognize the value of channel integrity to their patients and their bottom lines,” says Schmidt. “As we continue developing our channel, we expect that responsibility, safety and trust will become the driving values throughout the industry.” When it comes to leadership, a reputation for integrity is an essential component behind any individual or company with designs on blazing new trails. Knowing that achieving Guaranteed Channel Integrity for his company was dependent on engendering the trust of manufacturers and customers, FFF sought out committed partners who shared the vision, and found them. FFF also developed innovative technologies such as the Verified Electronic Pedigree™ (VEP) system, which electronically displays the chain of custody for every product it ships, and the LotTrack™ service, which tracks products by lot number and provides recall notification to those affected. Schmidt’s foresight also led to the development of a best practices business model dubbed “The 8 Critical Steps to Guaranteed Channel Integrity™.” Today, FFF is recognized as the most trusted distributor of biopharmaceuticals, plasma products and vaccines in the nation, serving more than 8 percent of U.S. hospitals and supplying the nation’s leading non-acute care group purchasing organizations.

Another example of FFF’s quality commitment is epitomized by its specialty pharmacy subsidiary, NuFACTOR, which was established to provide IVIG, coagulation factors and vaccines directly to patients. The ability to have a direct and often profound impact on the quality of life of a patient in need is what truly motivates Schmidt. In addition, innovative programs such as MyFluVaccine and VaxAmerica have provided revolutionary approaches to vaccination, removing barriers for healthcare providers, patients and health plans in providing and receiving the preventive vaccines that are vital to long-term health and wellness.